Welcome to the High Availability Hosting Blog

This week we have ordered an additional fibre into the Sheffield Data Centre.

The fibre will be provided by BT for connection direct into their 21CN network, with onward Internet transit.  This brings our fibre connectivity N+1 in line with power and cooling which is already redundant.  BT also brings a second transit provider to us.

We’re all really pleased here at HA Hosting, as another fibre will enable us to trial several in-the-pipeline products, including the possible return to dedicated gaming colo.  The additional bandwidth has already been partially pre-sold to existing customers requiring extra capacity, and will allow us to meet future needs.

Due sometime in April, we’ll of course blog the install when it happens, and if BT have top open any more manholes, we’ll try to get pictures  :-)

It’s with great pleasure I announce that the hosting room of the Sheffield Data Centre is complete.

The first 4 racks are fully installed and (nearly) cabled.  We’ve this week placed an order for an additional 12 racks to meet customer demand, and we’ve started to show the first prospective clients round the building.

The “snag list” is nearly complete too, with only a few jobs remaining – most notibly the gassing of the air-conditioners which is scheduled to happen this Thursday. 

Today was also the day our 100Mbit fibre went live, with a connection straight through to the Internet.  We’ve now got a few days of testing and firewall building ahead, which is where the “fun” starts  :-)

So the question everybody’s been asking us… “when are you going to open??”.  Providing the air-con gassing goes ok, and the network build is complete and tested over the weekend, we’ll begin to offer colocation from next week.  So if you’re interested in colocation with us, now’s the time to email us and arrange a visit.

We’re booking people in to see us from next Monday (22nd), so either give us a call on 0114 228 0022 or email sales@sheffielddatacentre.com.  If you’ve already got your details registered with us you’ll be getting a more personalised invitation later this week, or you could queue jump and contact us!

And finally the usual update pics…

Computer room build complete

100Mbit fibre live

Pics of the fibre B-Side install by Openreach…

Openreach on site again...

Fibre jointing in the street

B-End fibre termination

BT Openreach were on site yesterday to install the B-Side of our 100Mbit fibre connection to Virgin Media.

The fibre installation at our end went smoothly, and Openreach have left a loop connector in place so they can begin loopback testing from the A-Side (at Virgin Media / Telewest / NTL).

Elsewhere on site more raised access floor has been layed, and more wiring for emergency lights, CCTV and security has been installed.

Pics to follow soon!!

Less than a month after construction started, the final plastering has been completed and the decoration has started throughout.  Elsewhere Openreach have been in to terminate the 10-pair copper which will be used for phone lines, DSL, and the redundant access services.  The access-control controller boxes are being configured, and finally the 2nd fix electrics in the office are now going in.

This week promises to be a milestone in the project – not only will Friday be the one-month-marker, but the raised floor is due on site.  Before the end of the Bank Holiday we hope to have the raised floor in place where racks 1 and 2 will go, so Openreach and Telewest can come in and terminate the fibre from next week.

Final plastering complete

Decoration well under way

Office second fix electrics

Openreach on site

Sorry for the update delay!  Been a busy week on site but not much photo worthy…

We’ve had the first fix electrics installed in the office, and the second fix electrics installed in the loading bay and entrance hall.  The ceilings and office partition walls have been skim plastered rather than filled (this is what’s taken most of the week to organise), the steel fibre trunking is complete, and we’ve installed the Paxton Access Control units and the generator automatic transfer switch…

…and finally BT have made live the first of the copper circuits entering the unit.  We’ll use this for DSL for management access.

Loading bay construction ongoing

Generator transfer switch arrives on site

Access control system installed

Computer room ceiling plastering underway

Steel fibre ducting under raised floor complete

2nd fix electrics ongoing, sockets and light switches installed

Last week finished off with Skanska back on site to pull the fibre trunking into the building.  Connecting via BT’s core network all the way to ntl:Telwest (Virgin) in Attercliffe, Sheffield – the fibre will be the primary internet link for the Sheffield Data Centre.

Manholes lifted again

Pulling the fibre in

Fibre trunking coil

When we first took over the unit we had to demolish an existing office suite to make the data hall bigger, we also had visits from BT, ntl:Telewest, Sheffield City Council and several prospective clients.

Finally last week we had Skanska visit site and start to pull through blue rope via all the BT ducts in the area for our new shiny fibre cable.

Before demolition

After demolition

Skanska on site

BT Manhole Open

Another BT manhole open

Opening manholes in the car park, thankfully BT have already installed ducts and cable chambers!! 

We’ll post some more pics, including the start of construction soon…